Hamish Macdonald on why he left ABC’s Q+A after 18 months

He hosted ABC’s Q+A for 18 months, and now Hamish Macdonald has revealed the concerning reason why it proved too much for him.

Hamish Macdonald’s decision to quit Q+A after only 18 months in the role came as a surprise to viewers.

The highly-regarded TV journalist, 40, replaced veteran Tony Jones on the popular program in late 2019, after relinquishing his position as The Sunday Project host on Channel 10.

Now, having accepted a gig to return to The Sunday Project as co-host, Macdonald has opened up about the pressures of working for the ABC during a period of hostility for Australians amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I didn’t go into it naively,” he told theSydney Morning Herald. “I knew there would be added scrutiny. But I do think people would be surprised by the degree to which people who work in roles like that are left alone to navigate the trolling and the abuse that comes with it. It was a surprise to me.

“It was overwhelming at times. It became something I could not manage on my own, and I could not get away from it.”

RELATED: Why Hamish Macdonald quit social media

Hamish Macdonald hosted Q+A for 18 months. Pictures: ABC

Macdonald famously quit social media in January after copping extreme social media abuse as a result of being the face of the live audience discussions program.

But he says stepping away from the relentlessness of the internet wasn’t enough to escape criticism.

“It had the ability to jump from social media into the real world and real life so frequently,” Macdonald added.

“It was certainly not uncommon for people to come up to me in the street and want to get stuck in about decisions made by people, by program makers, about the people on the show, things that people on the show said.

“Sometimes even on your front doorstep, not in a threatening way, not in a deliberate way, but in a way that really made it difficult to feel confident going on air, and confident in your own ability to do the job.”

Macdonald will return to The Sunday Project tonight alongside Lisa Wilkinson, and will also co-host Friday nights and perform on-the-ground reporting duties for the network.

Hamish Macdonald returns to The Sunday Project tonight.

He announced the decision last month, saying in a statement he was eager to re-join the Channel 10 family.

“I am over the moon to be returning to 10 and thrilled about the opportunity to make great local and international content with this dynamic group of producers and presenters,” Macdonald said in a statement at the time.

“It is also a total joy to be heading back to the desk with Lisa, Tommy and the people I love so much.

“Finding innovative ways to tell stories from Australia and around the world is what I love doing and I can’t wait to get stuck into it.”

Meanwhile, Q+A has been hosted by a rotation of panellists, including Virgina Trioli, with the ABC confirming that will continue going forward.